Once again, we were foiled in our attempt to test-drive the BMW 550i Gran Turismo; it fell victim to vandals the night before we were to pick it up. The fine folks at BMW, however, came up with a more than adequate replacement when they presented us with an ActiveHybrid X6.

When we picked up the X6 -- something BMW calls a Sports Activity Coupe -- a representative at the dealer gave us a quick rundown of the hybrid system, describing it as the world’s most powerful golf cart when it operates in electric mode. Now, if we could have a golf cart like this -- one that starts at a cool $88,900 -- the golf course is probably the last place we would go.

The BMW ActiveHybrid X6 will never be confused with a golf cart thanks to an advanced, powerful powertrain under the hood. The powertrain is made up of a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine coupled to a pair of electric motors, one that delivers 91 horsepower and the other 86. The combined output of the engine/electric motors is 480 horsepower and 575 lb-ft. of torque. That power is put to the pavement through a smooth 7-speed Sport Automatic transmission.

The nice thing about the X6’s hybrid system is that you can never tell which system is in use, or when they switch, unless you are looking at the diagram on the screen that tops the center stack. The system has four operating modes: eDrive, eBoost, Charge, and Drive. eDrive is when the system relies solely on the powerful batteries in the back of the X6 for propulsion; eBoost lets the two electric motors supplement the V8; the charge mode sends energy back to the battery through regenerative braking. The drive function is pretty self-explanatory. Whatever mode it’s in, the X6 drives effortlessly.

The BMW ActiveHybrid X6’s design isn’t the most traditional on the market, and it’s received mixed reviews from many in the automotive business. It mixes the look of a coupe with that of a sports utility vehicle, with an oversize rear that seems to have drawn some of the harshest critics. We happen to like the oversize look, even though it took some getting used to. From the massive front fenders to the huge doors and rear-end, we think the whole thing comes together nicely, even though its height could make ingress and egress a little difficult for the vertically challenged.

On the inside the design is much more traditional, which means it’s very elegant and well put together as per BMW standards. There is leather everywhere, quality materials, excellent fit and finish, and so many ways to adjust your front seat that it would be nearly impossible for even the fussiest of people to not find a comfortable seating position. There’s just as much luxury for the backseat passengers, and our tester came with an option no parents should be without -- the rear DVD entertainment system -- for those long family road trips. And for those trips, you have a good amount of cargo space behind the rear seats, so pack up and go.